Talking Romance

Romance and other genres

Romance works in other genres. It can be the main genre or the secondary one, even the third genre. The leads may not even realize they’re in a romance until all other genre tensions are gone, solved. Think back to some ’70s and ‘80s TV shows where the audience wanted the leads together. The entire show had them racing to save a client or solve a theft or something just falls into their laps and they land in trouble, danger. When it all ends the two look at each and how they made it out together, but then look away or laugh it off as nothing more than just work or friendship.

The romance genre isn’t just about love and relationships. It’s about people and people get into all sorts of things.

Plus adding another genre opens up more storylines, more dimension. And, like me, opens the genre to new readers. Readers who might not normally pick up a romance story. Even a certain romance publisher has opened to the supernatural (nocturne) added mysteries to their storylines.

Historical? I used to think that was mostly romance, but then discovered Sherlock, the ripper, and westerns.

What I’m saying is if you’ve stayed away from romance because it doesn’t fit your genre, give it a try. Add it in or start a romance and add your favourite genre. Allow your imagination to run wild. Listen to your characters, are they missing someone?

With my first sweet romance short, I couldn’t stay away from adding a bit of something else, now the characters are telling me, they’re not finished. The story is now just them.